


Zwei herze und ein lîp hân wir

by SwanFloatieKnight



Category: Arthurian Mythology, Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthurian Romances, Awkwardness, Canon Era, Crack, Crushes, Fluff, Foreign Language, Getting Together, I just wanted to advertise for my cool MHG stories ok, I'm always unsure whether I should place Merlin rather in the 6th or in the 14th century xD, Love Confessions, M/M, Medieval, Middle High German, Minnesang, Pining, a bit - Freeform, product placement, well kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:48:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23148748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwanFloatieKnight/pseuds/SwanFloatieKnight
Summary: When Arthur finally gathers the courage to ask Merlin out on a date, he notices that his servant has the strange habit of murmuring things in a foreign language. So he decides to investigate further. And what he finds out is not at all what he had expected.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 34
Kudos: 134





	Zwei herze und ein lîp hân wir

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FervidAsAFlame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FervidAsAFlame/gifts).



> Thank you, FervidAsAFlame, for giving me this idea!!!
> 
> I'm too deep into my Middle High German, so sorry, this is nerdy. I hope you're still willing to give it a try! And maybe you even get interested in my favourite pieces of MHG literature, who knows xD
> 
> Also, I wrote most of this fic between 1 and 4 in the morning. I tried to edit it but I'm not entirely sure how much sense it makes xD

A/N: I posted this fic on Ao3, and on Ao3 alone. If you read this on any other website or platform, please consider that I did not consent to this.

* * *

The first time Arthur noticed Merlin’s stranger-than-usual behaviour was on a hunting trip with the knights. Arthur had thought about asking Merlin out for quite a while actually, and he was quite sure that Merlin, too, was interested in him, but none of them had gathered the courage yet. Now he finally wanted to make the first move.

When Merlin went to refill their water skins at a nearby stream and the knights were looking after the cooking, Arthur followed Merlin as discreetly as possible. He didn’t want anyone to notice, especially not his knights. If his mission failed, Gwaine would tease him to no end, and Leon’s pitiful looks also were something he could live without. No, nobody was to know about his intentions before Merlin had said yes.

And hopefully, he would. Arthur had been thinking about how to approach Merlin for weeks now, had considered what to say, how to make his intent clear without being too blunt, and now he still had to think about the right words.

Actually, he was thinking so hard about them that he nearly stumbled over Merlin, who was kneeling next to the stream and mumbling some words that Arthur couldn’t understand. He halted, confused. He hoped that he wasn’t disturbing Merlin in something private.

Merlin hadn’t noticed him yet. Maybe he should just turn around and walk back to the camp, pretend that he had never been out here. But he also was curious. So he only took a few steps back and tried to listen to what he was saying.

“ _Alsus stuont er in strîtes ger. / nu set, dort kom geschûftet her / drî ritter nâch wunsche var, von fuoze ûf gewâpent gar. / der knappe wânde sunder spot, / daz ieslîcher wære ein got._ “[1]

What was Merlin talking about? He couldn’t understand a word he was saying. And slowly, it dawned to him that this was because Merlin was speaking in a foreign language. A cold shudder ran down Arthur’s back. A foreign language that sounded suspiciously like the language of the Old Religion, but not quite. Was Merlin practicing dark magic? Maybe for dark magic you had to use another language. Not that he really believed it, but you could never know.

Arthur turned around and, in a short outburst of panic, fled. While running back to the camp though he tried to calm his thoughts and look at the situation more rationally. He still wanted to ask Merlin out, only there was a problem now, and that problem was that Merlin was perhaps practicing dark magic, here in Camelot. Arthur wasn’t sure what to think of this, and also he wasn’t really sure if this had actually been magic. After all, he had only heard Merlin whispering in a strange language, but nothing else had happened.

When he got back to his knights he had decided that he shouldn’t decide anything too rashly. It would be best if he investigated in this matter further. He would pay closer attention to Merlin over the next few days. If there was indeed magic at work, he would surely find out. And then he could still decide if he wanted to ask Merlin out or not.

Some days passed without Arthur noticing anything strange about Merlin. Well, nothing stranger than usual. He was doing his job as badly as usual, complaining about too much work as usual, and being as clumsy as usual. Merlin was just Merlin.

And with Merlin just being his usual self, Arthur soon was once again determined to ask Merlin out when a week after the hunting trip he caught Merlin again. This time, he was murmuring something else, but it sounded like the same language he had heard Merlin speaking at the stream. Maybe this time it was a different spell?

“ _ir rîterschaft diu werte / unz daz in daz lant vuor / der künec Artûs, alser swuor, zu dem brunnen mit her. / dô bedorfer guoter wer._ “[2]

Arthur wasn’t sure but he thought that he might have heard his own name and he started to worry a bit. Maybe Merlin was trying to curse him? Actually he highly doubted that, but in a small corner of his mind the worries were still present.

Yet nothing happened during training. Even though Arthur was still suspicious he started to consider that maybe this was some non-magical, if very strange thing that Merlin was doing there. Merlin and dark magic was indeed something he could hardly imagine. Yet, he was determined to not give into his feelings for the young man too rashly. He had to be entirely sure that Merlin was not engaging in any dark magical activities before he could ask him out.

Only two days later he got another chance to investigate when he walked in on Merlin sitting in the armoury cleaning his chainmail and polishing his sword. He looked peaceful, and completely normal, and Arthur was already about to just walk past and forget about this matter when he heard Merlin brabbling in that weird language again. It had another rhythm this time, something slow and maybe sluggish, sounded even darker and more dangerously. Almost scary.

“ _Wi grimme sich do werten diu ellenden kint! / si triben ûz dem hûse di gewâffenten sint, / doch beleip ir tôt dar inne funf hundert oder baz. / dô wart daz ingesinde von bluote rôt unde naz._ “[3]

All Arthur understood, or thought to understand, was “blood”, and now he really started to worry about Merlin. What was that boy plotting? Did he plan to hurt Arthur or any one of the knights with his dark magic? Because this really sounded dark and dangerous now. Did he even want to kill them, maybe?

Also, he had to admit that he was a little disappointed. For once in his life he had been optimistic about a date. He had found a person he honestly was in love with, not some girl he had to marry for some politic affair, and he had also started to hope that Merlin liked him back. The way they looked at each other, the way Merlin smiled at him that made his heart flutter. And now this. Merlin was acting very weird, and perhaps even practicing dark magic. In the worst case he was even trying to kill him, Arthur, with said dark magic!

But no matter how sad this made Arthur, and that maybe he even was a little afraid of Merlin now (with these sorcerers you could never know), he still had no evidence for these strange words being actually dark magic. And as a king, he had to deal out fair judgement. He couldn’t accuse his manservant only on some suspicions he had, no matter how well-placed they might be. Also, he didn’t want to accuse Merlin at all, if he was honest with himself. He wanted this whole affair to turn out in a positive way, Merlin just being weird without dark magic. So he would have to continue checking on Merlin, keeping his eyes open, waiting for the perfect moment. It only made it pretty hard to be around him when at the same time he had to get used to the thought that he would probably never be allowed to ask Merlin out.

Another couple of days later Arthur was returning to his chambers after a particularly boring council meeting. He was earlier than he had expected, and Merlin was still cleaning up. When Arthur entered the room Merlin was collecting the dirty laundry he had scattered all about his room. That was why he didn’t notice Arthur’s entry at first, and that was also why Arthur heard him singing, once again in that foreign language.

“ _Schœne lant, rich unde here, / swaz ich der noch hân gesehen, / sô bist dûz ir aller êre, / waz ist wunders hie geschehen._ “[4]

It sounded strange, yet beautiful. It was almost disappointing when Merlin suddenly stopped when the door fell shut behind Arthur and Merlin noticed that he was no longer alone.

“Arthur!” He blushed.

“Hello, Merlin.” Arthur couldn’t help but feel awkward himself for walking in on Merlin singing. He had to admit that his voice sounded beautiful. He hadn’t expected it to be so pure and tender, just like the man himself. Actually he hadn’t given any thoughts to Merlin singing yet, but it fit him perfectly in a way.

They looked at one another awkwardly till Merlin cleaned his throat. “I’m… almost done here. With your laundry and all. Just a minute.”

“Don’t worry, take your time.” Arthur tried to smile at Merlin but it felt shaky and he blushed even harder at that. So he turned away and just stared out of the window till he heard the door open behind him and Merlin finally left.

Arthur’s hands were shaky. Whatever he had heard Merlin recite in the armoury, he was now convinced that it had nothing to do with any kind of dark magic, no matter how scary it had sounded. After all, dark magic wasn’t something that you sung, was it? And even if you did, it certainly wouldn’t sound that beautiful.

It didn’t take Arthur long now to decide that Merlin would never be able to assassinate him or one of the knights with dark magic. Whatever this language was, it couldn’t be evil if Merlin could sing such a beautiful song in it. That meant that Merlin certainly wasn’t practicing dark magic. And that meant that he could finally, finally ask Merlin out.

So in the afternoon Arthur went down to Gaius’ chambers. He knew that the elderly physician would still be out in the town for at least two hours and that Merlin was probably home. Arthur was nervous and jittery. Maybe Merlin wasn’t practicing dark magic, but he could still say no. Maybe he didn’t like Arthur, not at all, not even on a friendly basis. Maybe he had misinterpreted the smiles and jokes and the looks they had given each other. Perhaps he should just return to his chambers and never think about this at all.

One or two times he was close to actually returning to his chambers, but he went on. He was the King of Camelot. It would be pretty pathetic if he didn’t even manage to gather the courage to ask his manservant out. So Arthur went on.

When he opened the door he saw Merlin sitting at the table with a book open, and he was writing on a piece of paper while mumbling again in that language. He didn’t even look up when Arthur entered.

“Merlin?” Arthur covered the book’s pages with his hands to get Merlin’s attention. That book now scared him again, what if it was a magic book? But then, he had finally caught Merlin in the act and could learn the truth about all this matter now. “Merlin, what _are_ you doing?”

“Nothing.” Merlin blushed as furiously as he had this morning when Arthur had caught him singing in his chambers.

“That’s not nothing! I’ve heard you speaking weird things for the past few weeks! And what is that book about?” Now Arthur pulled his hands back to have a look at the pages. The book looked old, there were stains and ink smears in some parts that made it hard to read. But he couldn’t understand what was written there anyways.

Merlin’s voice brought him back from his thoughts. “I’m doing homework.”

“Homework?” Arthur echoed. That was not what he had expected.

“Yeah, homework. Is that so bad?” Merlin looked at him uncertainly but stubbornly.

“No. No, not at all. It certainly is good for you to keep your brain active. I was just curious what nonsense language you were murmuring for the past weeks.” Arthur felt his hands sweating and tried to wipe them on his trousers as discreetly as possible.

Merlin shrugged. “It’s German. I thought it wouldn’t do no harm to learn a foreign language. Maybe you’ll have to deal with Germans once in a while, now that you’re king. Also, they write cool stories,” he added with a little smile that Arthur returned. “But certainly you haven’t come to ask me about my studies.”

Oh god, the reason why he had come… “No, not really.” Arthur looked at Merlin, then he looked away again. His cheeks were burning. Again, he had to wipe his sweat dripping hands on his trousers. “Actually I wanted… so, I just wanted to ask… I don’t know how to put it.”

Merlin was looking at him curiously, but still smiling, as if he already knew what Arthur was trying to tell him. “Just ask. It can’t be that bad when for once you’re nervous about asking me anything.”

Arthur sighed. “See, I really like you a lot, Merlin. And I wanted to ask you if, maybe, you would like to… become more than friends?”

Merlin’s face had lit up during Arthur’s awkward stuttering, and now he was smiling brightly at him. “You know, Arthur, I like you, too. A lot. And I think I would love it. To be with you. As more than friends.”

“Oh, thank god,” Arthur breathed in relief. It sounded almost like a laugh. “You have no idea how happy this makes me.” He grinned at Merlin. “You know, actually I had wanted to ask you weeks ago. But then I heard you speaking that weird language – ”

“German,” Merlin added helpfully.

“Yeah, German, whatever. And I don’t know, I feared that you were maybe practicing dark magic or something and I was so afraid that I wouldn’t be able to date you because of this. And that you wouldn’t like me. That I was afraid of, too.”

When he now looked back at Merlin, the young man looked a little uneasy. “Arthur… what if… would it really be so bad if I actually had magic?”

Arthur laughed. “To kill me or my knights? Yeah I think it would. But you don’t. And,” he continued when Merlin wanted to speak up again, “I already know about your magic. The good one. For quite a while, actually. But your magic was all warm and golden and soft. Nothing evil about it. All I was afraid of, in a way, was dark magic. I don’t even know.” He bit his lips. He felt so awkward confessing this to Merlin. “I just was afraid. Of loosing you before I even had you.”

Merlin shook his head. “Arthur, you’re a dollophead. Honestly.” But he smiled fondly at him when he said that. And Arthur smiled back at him.

“Now, Merlin, what are you reading this time? A cool German story?”

“Poetry.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. Is that bad?”

“No, of course not.” Arthur went around the table and hugged Merlin from behind. “Can you read it out to me?”

Merlin shrugged. “If you want to…”

“I want to.“

Arthur kissed Merlin’s cheek tenderly while he started reciting the words written on the parchment in front of him.

“ _Zwei herze und ein lîp hân wir. / gar ungescheiden unser triuwe mit ein ander vert. / der grôzen liebe der bin ich vil gar verhert, / wan sô du kumest und ich zuo dir._ ”[5]

**Author's Note:**

> [1] Pz 120, 23 – 28: “So he stood, ready for a fight. Now behold, there came walloping three knights who looked very beautiful and were armed from head to toe. The young man seriously thought that every single one of them was a god.”  
> This is taken from Parzival, a Middle High German Arthurian romance from between 1200 and 1210. This part describes Parzival who is out hunting and sees knights for the first time in his life. He thinks they are gods because his mother has described God to him as bright and shiny, just like the knights’ armour. Also, for the records, Parzival is probably ~18 years old when this scene happens xD he’s cute but an idiot. An adorable idiot who is destined to become the Grail King. My favourite MHG romance so far. 11/10 would recommend.
> 
> [2] Iw, v. 2446 - 2450: “Their knightly activities lasted until King Arthur came to the land, as he had sworn, to that well with his army. Therefore, he needed a good defense.”  
> This now is taken from Iwein, another Arthurian romance, and it is about, surprise surprise, Iwein. He’s a knight in King Arthur’s court and he goes to conquer that well. By accident, he also gains the kingdom that well is in and the Queen who is ruling over it. But the best thing about that romance is the overall queerness [I’m so serious about this I even wrote a paper lol]. 10/10 would recommend.
> 
> [3] Nl (B), 1929: “How fiercely the young strangers defended themselves! They drove the armed ones out of the hall, but five hundred or more of them stayed back dead. There the retinue got red and wet from the blood.”  
> This is one stanza from the Nibelungenlied [The Song of the Nibelungs], nothing Arthurian this time. It describes the events happening towards the end of the song: the slaughter of all the Burgundians in the court of Etzel, King of the Huns. It’s very bloody and cruel and all, but super fascinating to read, even though it gets a bit long and boring in some parts. 9/10 would recommend.
> 
> [4] Walther von der Vogelweide: Palästinalied (L 14, 38), II, 1 – 4: „Wonderful land, rich and impressive, as I haven’t seen one before. This is you to the honour of all the wonders that have happened here.”  
> This song is actually about a crusade [Palästinalied means Palestine song]. Not really fitting topic, I know, but it is one of the few Middle High German songs of which the melody was brought down to us along with the lyrics. So if you want to give it a try, there are recordings on Youtube! It is religious, of course, but to be honest everything written at that time is kinda religious because the people just were more religious then. So 9/10 would recommend.
> 
> [5] Wolfram von Eschenbach: Den morgenblic (MF I), II, 7 – 10: “Two hearts and one body we have. Our fidelity goes together without separating. I am utterly lost to the great love every time you come to me and I to you.”  
> This now is Minnesang, dear people! And it is taken from one of Wolfram’s dawn songs! I love his dawn songs! Dawn songs are usually about two lovers who have some secret affair and spent the night together and now they wake up in the morning and one of them has to leave. [Also, I love Wolfram von Eschenbach. He also wrote Parzival. Did I mention this above?] 11/10 would recommend!
> 
> The translations are my own. Especially the Palästinalied was a little tricky, so if anyone out there knows MHG better than I do, feel free to correct me! 
> 
> Even though this was nerdy and full of MHG book reviews, I'd love to know what you think about it! So please, if you enjoyed this, consider leaving me a comment and/or kudos!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [hât minne an sælden teil](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27016864) by [SwanFloatieKnight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwanFloatieKnight/pseuds/SwanFloatieKnight)




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